Parents Describe TANF’s Strengths and Needed Changes in New Report on 25th Anniversary of “Welfare Reform” A new report on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), featuring the voices of parents receiving cash assistance, finds that TANF is crucial for supporting the lowest income families in Pennsylvania, but needs a grant increase and other…
CLS is thrilled to welcome Cheryl-Lyn Bentley as its new Deputy Director of Operations and Human Resources. Cheryl-Lyn is an outstanding and experienced employment and civil rights attorney who brings a depth of experience in non-profit, government and private practice, and a deep commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion work. Cheryl-Lyn comes to CLS from…
Have you gotten a notice from PUA about uploading proof that you lost work during the pandemic? If you applied for PUA in 2020 and are still collecting in 2021, you just need a single document that shows you were working at some point between January 2019 and your application for PUA. It could…
To help people get through the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Rescue Plan massively expanded the Child Tax Credit (CTC). It will give most families $3,000 to $3,600 per child, even if the families have little or no income. In 2021, families can get: $3,600 ($300 a month) per child for children ages 0 to 5.…
Descarga un folleto con esta información aquí. Si está atrasado en el pago de sus facturas o ya ha recibido un aviso de desconexión, siga estos pasos de inmediato. Solicite asistencia en forma de subsidies de LIHEAP, UESF, y el programa de ayuda para el pago del arriendo de Filadelfia Estos subsidios se pueden utilizar…
Información en Español. This information was last updated on March 23, 2021. Download flyer with this information here. If you live in Philadelphia and are behind on your gas or electric bills or have already received a shutoff notice, follow these steps right away to avoid losing service. Apply for utility grants from LIHEAP, UESF,…
Today, Community Legal Services and the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project released a report that reveals that Black and Latinx households in Pennsylvania are more likely to experience unaffordable utility costs and fall behind on their utility bills at a much higher rate than white households. Many of these same communities were hardest hit by COVID-19…
Even if you don’t normally file taxes, you should file for a stimulus payment right away. You could get money from the IRS even if you don’t have earnings! The IRS has sent out two stimulus payments to help people get through the COVID-19 pandemic. It will send out a third payment soon. The IRS has…
Read the full report Racial and economic disparities in affordable housing existed long before the COVID-19 pandemic, and yet, new data from the US Census Bureau suggest that the pandemic and the ensuing economic fallout are only widening these divides. When paired with a global pandemic, we anticipate a national wave of homelessness that will…
Today, Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, as part of Incarcerated Women’s Working Group (“Working Group”) released a report on increasing access to diversionary programs for women in the criminal legal system. Diversion programs divert individuals accused of crimes away from traditional court trial and sentencing proceedings, instead requiring participation in community service, treatment, and other…
